Top 10 Mobile eSports Athletes Win Over $2.7 Million in 2017

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Skillz, the worldwide leader in mobile eSports, today announced the champions of 2017. Grossing over $2.7 million in total prizes, the top 10 rankings were dominated by women who accounted for 70% of the list. The top mobile athlete claimed tournament prizes totalling over $420,000 in 2017, placing her in the top 25 highest-earning eSports athletes in the world, according to eSportsEarnings.com.

Top Skillz Competitors of 2017

Ranking

Username

State

Prizes Won

1

yutourmaline

Massachusetts

$420,994

2

KatieNguyen

Pennsylvania

$380,984

3

Jopip

California

$329,670

4

Jwrober

Colorado

$252,762

5

~SwiPeS~ (f.k.a. LLYW999)

Michigan

$252,685

6

LegalEnormousPhds

New York

$236,591

7

HestiaX

New Jersey

$229,952

8

ChocoPie

Virginia

$228,508

9

Chris_930

California

$219,434

10

Kmamba1090

California

$215,554

"There's a reason Skillz games have been a big part of my daily life for several years," said Alex Heitmann, who ranked in the top 10 for the second year in a row. "I've always loved competing with others to become the best, but I never thought I'd be able to earn a living playing video games."

Beyond the players, the industry's growth is also a testament to the game developers who have created these emerging sports. With over $25 million in prizes last year, Tether Studios' Cube Cube awarded more money to players in 2017 than top eSports titles such as Valve's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Activision Blizzard's Call of Duty and Supercell's Clash Royale.

"Just as Shaun White defined snowboarding and Tony Hawk popularized skateboarding, Skillz competitors are defining what it means to be an eSports athlete," said Andrew Paradise, CEO and founder of Skillz.

The top Skillz competitors are ranked based upon total tournament prizes won by each player, excluding any entry fees paid to enter those tournaments. For more information on Skillz-enabled games and implementing mobile eSports competitions, visit www.skillz.com or email launch@skillz.com.

About SkillzSkillz, the leading mobile eSports platform, connects the world's 2.6 billion mobile gamers through competition. In 2017, Skillz was named the #1 fastest-growing private company in America by Inc. Magazine, the first eSports company on CNBC's Disruptor 50, and the only eSports company on the San Francisco Business Times Fast 100. Over 12 million gamers use Skillz to compete in mobile games across 3,000+ game studios. Founded in 2012, Skillz is headquartered in San Francisco and backed by leading venture capitalists as well as the owners of the New England Patriots, Milwaukee Bucks, New York Mets and Sacramento Kings. To learn more, visit www.skillz.com.